Korean Peninsula
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1. DPRK Participation in ARF
The DRPK was formally inducted Thursday into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum (ARF). The DPRK delegation participated in a number of bilateral meetings.
“DPRK Diplomacy” (Daily Report, July 28, ROK)
“DPRK Participation in ARF” (Daily Report, July 27, US)
“DPRK Participation at ARF” (Daily Report, July 25, US)
“ASEAN Regional Forum” (Daily Report, July 25, ROK) |
2. DPRK Missile Program
US President Bill Clinton and Russian President Vladimir Putin talked about a DPRK offer to give up its missile program if it gets international assistance in launching space satellites, but US officials remained skeptical about the offer.
“DPRK Missile Program” (Daily Report, July 27, US)
“DPRK Missile Program” (Daily Report, July 28, US)
“US-DPRK Talks” (Daily Report, July 25, US)
“DPRK Missile Program” (Daily Report, July 24, US) |
3. DPRK Diplomacy
The DPRK this week reached agreements on opening diplomatic relations with New Zealand and Canada.
“DPRK-New Zealand Relations” (Daily Report, July 28, US)
“DPRK-Canada Relations” (Daily Report, July 27, US)
Foreign policy analysts believe that the DPRK’s recent diplomatic activity has led to events in which the DPRK, the PRC, Russia, and the ROK have taken the lead, and the US is belatedly trying to regain its lost leadership role.
“US-DPRK Relations” (Daily Report, July 28, US) |
4. ROK-DPRK Talks
DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun and ROK Foreign Minister Lee Joung-binn met in Bangkok on Wednesday, and pledged to push ahead with reconciliation.
“Inter-Korean Talks” (Daily Report, July 28, ROK)
“ROK-DPRK Talks” (Daily Report, July 26, US)
“Inter-Korean Talks” (Daily Report, July 26, ROK)
“Inter-Korean Talks” (Daily Report, July 24, ROK)
“Inter-Korean Talks” (Daily Report, July 25, ROK) |
5. DPRK-Japan Talks
Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono and DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun signed a four-point declaration calling for mutual efforts to improve ties and encouraging various exchanges; they agreed to set August 21-25 as the date for a new round of normalization talks.
“DPRK-Japan Talks” (Daily Report, July 28, ROK)
“Japanese-DPRK Talks” (Daily Report, July 28, Japan)
“DPRK-Japan Talks” (Daily Report, July 28, US)
“DPRK-Japan Talks” (Daily Report, July 26, US) |
6. Japan-ROK Talks
Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono invited ROK President Kim Dae-jung to visit Japan. Kim will visit Japan for three days in late September.
“ROK-Japan Relations” (Daily Report, July 28, US)
“Japanese-ROK Talks” (Daily Report, July 28, Japan) |
7. US-DPRK Talks
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met Friday with DPRK counterpart Paek Nam-sun. Fourth Freedom Foundation President Allistair Millar called for continued US engagement of the DPRK.
“DPRK-US Talks” (Daily Report, July 28, US)
“DPRK-US Talks” (Daily Report, July 26, US)
“DPRK Diplomacy” (Daily Report, July 26, PRC)
“DPRK Missile Program” (Daily Report, July 25, US)
“US Policy toward DPRK” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 25) |
8. DPRK-Russian Relations
Arrangements for the visit of Kim Jong-il to Vladivostok in September were confirmed Wednesday by aides to Yevgeny Nazdratenko, the governor of Russia’s Primorsky region. PRC reports said that analysts believed that Putin’s visit to the DPRK was an important step for Russia to adjust its Asia strategy and play a more important role in the Korea issue.
“Kim Jong-il’s Russia Visit” (Daily Report, July 26, US)
“Putin’s Visit to DPRK: PRC View” (Daily Report, July 26, PRC) |
9. Reunion of Separated Families
The DPRK said that it had found 849 relatives for 138 people living in the ROK, and the ROK said it had located 1,667 relatives for 198 people from the DPRK.
“Reunion of Separated Families” (Daily Report, July 28, ROK)
“Reunions of Separated Families” (Daily Report, July 28, US)
“Reunions of Separated Families” (Daily Report, July 26, US)
“Reunion of Separated Families” (Daily Report, July 26, ROK) |
China
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10. Taiwan Military Spending
Taiwan plans to raise military expenditures by nine percent to a total of 270.3 billion Taiwan dollars (US$8.7 billion) in 2001.
Taiwan Military Spending (Daily Report, July 27, US) |
11. US Policy toward PRC
US Representative Benjamin Gilman, chairman of the House Committee on International Relations, introduced a bill to establish an “Asian Pacific Charter Commission” that would “promote a consistent and coordinated foreign policy of the United States to ensure economic and military security in the Pacific region of Asia.”
“US Policy toward PRC” (Daily Report, July 28, US) |
12. PRC Ascension to WTO
Legislation granting the PRC permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with the US cleared a key Senate procedural hurdle Thursday and the Senate will return to the PRC trade bill the first week of September when legislative sessions resume. The PRC attempted to place a “one-China” statement into a key text on its eventual entry into the World Trade Organization, which has lead to a stalemate on negotiations between the PRC and the US.
“US Trade Bill on PRC” (Daily Report, July 28, US)
“Taiwan Entry to WTO” (Daily Report, July 28, US) |
Japan
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13. Japan-Russian Talks
Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov met at a Bangkok hotel on July 27 and agreed that during the visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Japan September 3-5, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and Putin should discuss a peace treaty between Japan and Russia.
“Japanese-Russian Talks” (Daily Report, July 28, Japan) |
14. Japanese Policy toward DPRK
Japanese Defense Agency Director General Kazuo Torashima at the cabinet meeting on July 28 said, “Although the realization of the inter-Korean summit meeting is expected to lead to detente on the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary to continue to cautiously see if it would really lead to the resolution of the DPRK’s nuclear and missile issues.”
“Japanese Stance on DPRK Missiles” (Daily Report, July 28, Japan) |
15. Japanese Policy toward PRC
Japanese Defense Agency Director General Kazuo Torashima reported at the cabinet meeting on July 28 that PRC maritime activities are increasing. He reported that this year’s defense white paper stated for the very first time that the PRC’s mid-range ballistic missile covers Japan and that that the Japanese government thinks it necessary to legislate a contingency law, which would instruct how Japanese Self-Defense Forces would act in case Japan is directly attacked.
“Japanese View of PRC Maritime Activities” (Daily Report, July 28, Japan)
“Japanese View of PRC Missile Threat” (Daily Report, July 28, Japan)
“Japanese Defense Legislation” (Daily Report, July 28, Japan) |
16. Japanese Nuclear Policy
The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) submitted to its internal council on July 24 a draft of the next long-term plan for Japan’s nuclear policy in terms of the study, development and use of nuclear energy. The draft calls for more private-sector involvement and government commitment to the issue of radioactive waste disposal.
“Japanese Nuclear Policy” (Daily Report, July 28, Japan) |
17. US-Japan Relations
The US White House released a fact sheet on US-Japan bilateral issues which described the relationship with Japan as “the cornerstone of US policy in the Asia-Pacific region,” which “forms the basis for a strong, productive partnership in addressing global and regional issues.”
“US-Japan Alliance” (Daily Report, July 25, US) |
Missile Issues
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18. US Missile Defense
US Defense Secretary William Cohen said that US Defense Department missile defense officials are now assessing the technical feasibility of the proposed US national missile defense project and other factors, and that he expects to make a recommendation to US President Clinton “within about three or four weeks.” An editorial argued that US national missile defense (NMD) proposals are forcing the great powers to address proliferation concerns.
“US Missile Defense” (Daily Report, July 24, US)
“US Missile Defense” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 25)
“US Missile Defense Test” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 25) |
19. PRC/Russian View of Missile Defense
The PRC and Russia criticized the US Theater Missile Defense (TMD) program at the ASEAN Regional Forum on Thursday. US Assistant Secretary of State Strobe Talbott said that a Theater Missile Defense (TMD) system would “not necessarily” include Taiwan.
“PRC, Russian View of Missile Defense” (Daily Report, July 27, US)
“Russian View of US Missile Defense” (Daily Report, July 28, US)
“PRC View of Missile Defense” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 25)
“Other Views of Missile Defense” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 25) |
20. Japanese View of Missile Defense
Speaking at the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting in Bangkok on July 27, Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono supported the US regarding the missile defense systems. He said, “The problem is that (there are nations that are trying to) build ballistic missiles or proliferate them.”
“Japanese Stance on US Missile Defense” (Daily Report, July 28, Japan) |
21. Australian Participation in Missile Defense
Australia’s Defense Science and Technology Organization (DSTO) has been conducting joint experiments in Australia with the US Defense Department on the early detection of ballistic missile launches as part of US research on theater missile defense (TMD) systems. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said that the Australian government would support tests of the proposed NMD system at the US electronic spy base at Pine Gap.
“Australian Involvement with TMD” (Daily Report, July 28, Japan)
“Australian Participation in NMD” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 25) |
22. South Asian View of Missile Defense
An editorial in Dawn argued that US National Missile Defense (NMD) has harmed chances that India and Pakistan would sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
“US National Missile Defense” (SANDNet Weekly Update, V.1, #28) |
South Asia
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23. Pakistan Nuclear Policy
Pakistan Deputy Foreign Minister Inam ul Haque told German media that Pakistan would consider first use of nuclear weapons if they were attacked by conventional forces
“Pakistan’s Nuclear Policy” (SANDNet Weekly Update, V.1, #28)
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